Prácticas ambientales éticas en el ejercicio interdisciplinario del derecho

Abstract

The Colombian Constitution of 1991, in its third chapter, defined the collective and environmental rights and in its article 79 it established that everybody is entitled to enjoy a healthy environment, boosting education in order to achieve these goals. Environmental education must be proposed from all of the different disciplines (sociology, philosophy, medicine, education, communication, accountancy, economy and law, among others). Taking care of the environment is then an interdisciplinary crucial activity that benefits the community. Understanding the practice of law as one of the disciplines that brings environmental wear and tear, due to the excessive consumption of paper, the proposal here is to use the technological and electronic means allowed by the law in order to minimize the use of such material. As a matter of fact, the new civil procedure code establishes a digital justice plan to make and assess files. Besides, the Colombian ministry of justice and law established virtual law for conciliations and arbitration, among other environmental practices. There is a resistance in the practice of law concerning the change from physical to virtual documents. An environmentally friendly practice boosted by the State is the zero paper culture in public and private organizations.